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Sanctions Force Russian Oil Refineries to Halt Operations Due to Equipment Shortages
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![Vlad Litnarovych]( "Vlad Litnarovych")
Three major Russian oil refineries—Volgograd, Ilsky, and Yaysky—have partially halted operations due to delays in completing scheduled maintenance last month, reported the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine on November 7.
The shutdown is expected to have broad impacts on Russia’s oil refining capacity, reduce fuel supply for domestic consumption, and delay the fulfillment of export commitments.
A pause in refinery operations, expected to cut refining capacity by 1.8 to 2 million tons monthly, highlights mounting problems, caused by international sanctions, which have restricted Russia’s access to essential Western equipment and parts.
The inability to secure foreign components, critical for maintenance and upgrades, has left Russia’s import substitution efforts falling short.
The Russian domestic suppliers currently provide only 30-45% of the required equipment, covering limited categories such as pumps, compressors, and reactors.
Efforts to source equipment from China have encountered compatibility issues, as Chinese technology often does not align with Russian refinery infrastructure, which can mean costly replacements and further delays in repair processes.
The shutdowns also underline Russia’s struggle to maintain operational continuity as the effects of sanctions on its energy sector deepen.
These operational halts are likely to drive up maintenance costs further and strain Russia’s already limited refining capacity, with potential knock-on effects on fuel availability domestically.
Earlier, fishing nets were spotted over the Moscow oil refinery, as an anti-drone measure.
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